A few more prospect ratings and analyses, plus a broader look at parity in MLB, the likelihood of a 2026 lockout, and the cost-benefit of deferred salaries.
It’s been a busy time for prospect rankings, with four national outlets unveiling their top-100 lists in the last nine days. ESPN was the latest on Wednesday, with eight Dodgers prospects rated in the top 100, led by Roki Sasaki at No. 1 overall.
In addition to lists, several prospect analysts have written other items about various prospects either in or adjacent to the top 100.
Jim Callis at MLB.com talked to several major league executives, trying to figure out if Sasaki is the best pitching prospect ever. Among the other candidates discussed were Paul Skenes, Stephen Strasburg, and (as a pitcher only) Shohei Ohtani.
“The consensus among the executives we surveyed was that Ohtani, Skenes and Strasburg had higher floors because they had more well-rounded repertoires and physicality,” Callis wrote, “but that Sasaki might have more upside than any of them.”
Keith Law at The Athletic wrote about 15 prospects just outside of his top-100 list, including a pair of Dodgers — shortstop Kellon Lindsey and left-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris. Lindsey was the Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 2024 and has yet to make his major league debut.
“If he shows he can pick up spin better in 2025 than he did before the draft, he’s going to be in the top 50 at midseason, because it’s tools all day and a good swing to produce quality contact,” Law wrote.
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Rob Mains at Baseball Prospectus wrote about how salary deferrals can end up being a net positive for both teams and players.
Eno Sarris at The Athletic tried to figure out how much parity exists in Major League Baseball compared to other major pro sports.
An annual report from the MLBPA showed the average salary in Major League Baseball in 2024 was $4,655,366, up 2.9 percent from 2023, per Associated Press.
Marc Normandin at Baseball Prospectus looked at recent comments from some MLB owners and commissioner Rob Manfred to gauge the likelihood of a lockout after the 2026 season, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires, and analyzed what the owners might be angling for.
“A lockout doesn’t have to mean a salary cap is coming, and it doesn’t even necessarily signal that an even more oppressive luxury tax system is en route, either,” Normandin wrote.